By chance, I stumbled onto the Playing With Fire YouTube channel and thought, “Great, yet another course-selling guru giving men false hopes.” But thirty seconds into the video, Alex mentioned the greats I have learned from and spoke of things that resonated with me. I was hooked.
Playing With Fire (aka PWF) is a no-nonsense, step-by-step guide teaching men how to maximize their dating success by improving their Sexual Market Value (SMV) through looks, style, and having the right mindset. Further, it forces men to rethink their approach and interaction with the women they desire.
Unlike other courses, PWF is filled with real-life text interactions and videos which leave any guesswork out of the equation. You’ll have a combo of theory plus practical steps to take and will never feel stranded.
My Rating Of Playing With Fire – The Ultimate Dating Blueprint
Overall Score: 92
Pros and Cons Of PWF – The Ultimate Dating Blueprint
Advantages
- No-nonsense, to the point, non-misleading advice
- No room for guesswork, you won’t feel stranded
- Provides deep understanding of the female psychology
- Content backed by several examples and proofs
- Quick support and an honest refund policy
Disadvantages
- The content is partially mobile-friendly
- Encourages a few questionable tactics
- Limited free access to Facebook Mastermind
Playing With Fire – Key Features In Detail
1. Ease Of Understanding
I’m not gonna lie. There’s a ton of content waiting inside for you. When I first visited my dashboard, I was overwhelmed (read intimidated) by the sheer volume.
My brain was like, “Damn! Will I have to go through all this? And for what? Just to lay a few more chicks than I’m doing now.”
However, right from the beginning, Alex makes it easy by pointing out that this is not some one-time read and throw-away material.
You must consume it at your own pace (without rushing) and make changes on the go.
Making changes on the go is important because the course is full of actionable steps you can take from each lesson, begin applying them, and improve your game.
These small additions to your skill after every lesson make a significant difference between what kind of a man you were and are after completing the course.
Content Divided Into Easily Digestible Pieces
The whole course is well structured, divided into various parts and corresponding chapters. Each part and each chapter has an objective.
The earlier chapters work superficially, like telling you to get a better haircut and improve your wardrobe.
The latter is about maximizing your Sexual Market Value (SMV), inner game, and understanding female psychology.
Written in plain and simple English, anyone with even a basic command of the language can follow along easily.
What Could Be Improved? – Minor Stuff
There are several occurrences of ‘then’ where ‘than’ should’ve been used. Initially, I found this a bit annoying and off-putting, but later on, my subconscious just accepted it.
Anyway, this little literary error wasn’t conflicting with the concepts being taught.
In hindsight, it only goes on to show how closely Alex was involved in the course curation because you can spot the same mistake in his gazillion text screenshots from his lay reports too.
It isn’t like one of those ‘gurus’ who outsource everything to a team of writers and editors and have no clue what is being sold in their name.
Hiring a few editors, though, can make the content even more crisp, digestible, and error-free.
Some people might also find the repetition of thoughts, concepts, and images annoying, but for me, it only meant solidifying what I was learning.
What Could PWF Improve? – Technical Issues
You cannot zoom in on the text on mobile. I found this so absurd, given the day and age, we’re living in.
The same is true for the images which support the lessons, as sometimes the text exchanges were pretty hard to read, and I had no way to zoom in on them.
It was highly frustrating to open every image in a new mobile browser tab and then be able to increase its size for a better reading experience.
The other alternative was being forced to sit in front of my system, which meant I couldn’t enjoy PWF as a bedtime read.
Rating: 9/10
2. How Long Is The Content Good For?
The biggest problem with courses like The Mystery Method, Real Social Dynamics, and Neil Strauss’ The Game was that several tactics were much more suited to the period those books were written in.
A quick example of this is the “ask for a girl’s email or Skype instead of her number” method or ‘accidentally’ coming across a girl again in case you fail to get her number the first time.
With women being much more aware of their rights and the courage to demolish any form of harassment, try doing this today.
You’ll get weird looks and might even carry the reputation of a creep with a restraining order attached to your name.
Several times some pickup artists have been banned from places because multiple women reported them.
This is one of the primary reasons why the pickup artist (PUA) community got a bad name, and women see you in low light if you even remotely use the word ‘pickup.’
Playing With Fire Is Different
The good thing about Playing With Fire is that Alex Vilenchik keeps the content platform independent and free from the low-value pickup mindset.
Whether you’re talking to women on dating apps, or social media, texting them offline, or approaching them in real life, the fundamental concepts and theories remain the same.
PWF’s content is more about techniques than tactics. Alex focuses heavily on working on your technique with women.
Of course, he throws in a few sneaky tactics here and there, which might seem disingenuous to some (more on this later), but using these is purely optional.
I took none of his sneaky advice but still enjoyed great success with women purely from his remaining 99.99% of the material. This is what I really love about The Ultimate Dating Blueprint.
Alex’s teachings work on your frame of mind and masculinity instead of putting stupid tricks into your head.
It doesn’t tell you to approach her on social media as some product/model manager or pick up cash withdrawal receipts discarded by others to trick her into thinking that you’re loaded.
Yes, this is the kind of advice that I’ve come across in some ‘famous’ men’s dating courses.
I feel that the content is good to go for several years since the fundamentals are based on facts that were true about female psychology even a thousand years ago.
And no, you’ll not be presented with some alpha/beta/sigma abstract nonsense.
Room For Improvement
In all honesty, I have no complaints. I wish I could rate it more than 10. Cannot think of anything right now, but will surely add something and deduct points if my brain has an aha moment.
Rating: 10/10
3. Effectiveness Of Lessons Taught
This is perhaps the most critical section of this review. If the content doesn’t get you results, none of this matters. PWF had an earlier version which was largely unstructured.
The latest version, i.e., The New and Improved Ultimate Dating Blueprint, is exponentially better, well organized, and logically thought out.
Storytime
Before being even remotely aware of PWF and its methods (even the YouTube videos), I enjoyed some success with women. But it was far from what I wanted, and knew what I was capable of.
Think about two or three lays here and there in maybe six months. Alex, through his material, drilled one thing into my head.
Before I could even think about seeing the desired success with women, I needed to maximize my SMV first.
He goes on to blow the “looks don’t matter if you’ve got game” nonsense out of the park, which is a big step if you’re open to the idea. In the dating world, especially online, looks matter a lot.
Can’t stress this enough.
What You Get – The Basics
No wonder some of his chapters lay it thick when it comes to becoming the most physically attractive version of yourself possible.
Everything, right from your skin, hair, fashion sense, hygiene, diet, and fitness, is covered. He even throws in a ‘No BS Guide To Getting Jacked’, which covers the basic principles well.
PWF has this SMV calculator chart that explains the attraction concept to you in-depth and gives you hope by logically showing you how not to remain stuck forever where you are right now in terms of attractiveness.
Alex calls a spade a spade by saying there are some things, like your race, that will never be within your control. So, instead of beating yourself down for that, focus on things you do have complete control over.
Once you’re consciously working on increasing your physical attractiveness, the course dives into deeper areas like creating the best possible dating profile with great pictures and bios, the optimal texting mindset, and having clear objectives.
A simple blueprint for opening, vibing, and closing is provided to you. To top it off, you’re also taught how to proceed with a girl once you’re with her physically.
What You Get – Advanced Stuff
As things get more advanced, you’re introduced to female psychology, building attraction, flirting, bantering, phone calls, reviving lost conversations, and what you need to know about being a man.
The final parts of the course are all about being a superior man.
They include topics like developing a rock-solid inner game, retaining women, quitting masturbation, fostering healthy relationships, and dating tips when traveling to foreign countries.
Lastly, several step-by-step texts and video lessons are there to amp up your bedroom game so that you can blow a woman’s mind and rock her world for real instead of the fake promises she’s used to from most men who’re all talk and no action.
While the basic stuff solidifies the ground you stand on, the advanced skills provide plenty of room for experimentation and help you create your own unique, individual personality that women will find irresistible.
Valuable Free and Bonus Material
Tons of free content in the form of articles, lay reports, and videos exist on the PWF website and Playing With Fire YouTube channel, which will encourage you to take control of your dating results and life in general.
You’re also eligible for a lifetime of free content updates.
After becoming a PWF member, you can become the exclusive member of a private mastermind Facebook group for a month, run by Alex and Indian PE (Alex’s business partner and PWF co-founder).
Here several men like you share their doubts, ask helpful questions, and post success stories. These also add a ton of value to your learning because you realize that failure is a part of the game.
You learn that no one’s perfect, and robotically copying Alex’s conversations with other women is akin to stealing canned pickup lines off the internet and will only get you so far.
Stories and pictures from other members teach you how important it is to be original.
But before you feel scared, remember they’re all still following the PWF framework, which is what Alex is always adamant about. Don’t memorize the steps.
Memorize the framework and the non-needy mindset. The steps can and will vary but will flow naturally.
Where PWF Needs To Improve – Major Issues Raised Here
My biggest complaint with PWF is the few sneaky tricks it throws and how Alex encourages you to follow them to maximize your results. Bluntly put, they’re dishonest in nature.
It includes adding 1-2 inches to your actual height while mentioning them in your dating profile and using deep fakes for pictures if needed, just as Indian PE does.
Alex himself shows examples where he had a pic of some other guy’s junk that he got off the internet, which closely matched his own in appearance but looked bigger in size.
My take on these is that they’re not needed. Two reasons. One, PWF is all about maximizing your results with what you have and letting go of your insecurities while you improve both physically and mentally.
Second, several members (including me) can testify that we did nothing sneaky, followed the instructions ethically, and still had remarkable success with women.
If PWF works without the shady stuff, maybe it’s time to completely phase it out of your lessons. Why? Because they’re doing your brand more harm than good.
Look at this Reddit thread from r/FakeGuru here: Alex from Playing With Fire is a major fraud
Since I’ve personally used PWF, talked to Alex a lot, and have the right results to speak for (in the next section below), I found these comments to be frustrated rants directing personal insults at Alex and Indian PE rather than something backed by facts and logic.
The highlight was cherry-picking a video and talking about the woman in it being ugly and from ‘the bottom of the barrel.’ Yup, pretty mature of you guys.
Conveniently, they never linked to or mentioned several other videos where Alex demonstrates live interactions with tons of other hot women.
A few comments rightly pointed out how all these comments were cringy and reeked of jealousy. But some of the points raised were exactly what I had discussed earlier, i.e., faking things.
Lastly, why is the Facebook Mastermind Group Free Access limited to a month?
It will take an average person some time to figure out the course material itself, and they won’t be able to fully benefit from the mastermind group.
Paying a monthly fee after a free trial might not sit well with many. But I understand it from Alex’s point of view too.
He wants to keep the group tightly knit with only serious members who engage regularly. Thus, the paying barrier.
My Results
I would be lying if I said everything I learned was only from the course-provided text and videos.
My favorite thing about Playing With Fire is the presence of hundreds of screenshots scattered throughout the course, which are literally theories being put into action.
It’s like you learn something, and then Alex has plenty of real-life examples from his interaction with women showing what he means.
I’m talking about tons and tons of example images where every aspect of the concept, including exceptions, is covered.
I cannot tell you how much I hate courses that are all about theory but have no practical, real-life examples. It leaves me stranded and scared to take action because I genuinely don’t know how to.
This was never a problem with Playing With Fire because I had everything I needed.
It was only a matter of time before I happily copied some texts wherever they made sense while also learning how to handle variations, apply common sense, and think outside the box.
PWF doesn’t dictate you to the dot. Instead, it encourages experimenting with whatever you understand from the resource.
Time for facts.
Before PWF: 3 new women in 6 months. 1 consistent.
After PWF: 3 new women in 2 months. 2 in rotation. (Excluding the consistent 1 from above)
Difference: A whopping 200% increase in the number of good-looking women I was pulling.
I also observed that the quality of women improved too.
Earlier it was around 6s and 7s at max, but after working on my attractiveness and clubbing it with the methods taught, the new ones were solid 7s and 8s.
I know I’m yet to bag a 9 or a supermodel 10, but I know I will. Never been more confident.
Rating: 8.5/10
4. Swiftness Of Support & Refund Policy
Alex is super responsive. At the time of writing this review, I’ve known Alex for more than two months and have had a lot of back and forth.
Yes, you might expect a support team to reply on his behalf, but since ‘The Ultimate Dating Blueprint’ is pretty new to the market, Alex is replying to all the emails personally, and Indian PE is very active in the Facebook Mastermind Group.
Whenever I needed something, my queries were answered within a few hours. I hope the swift responses remain a thing even after Playing With Fire becomes insanely popular and sees new heights of success.
The course also offers you a 15-day money-back guarantee in case you feel that PWF is not for you. Trust me, 15-days would be enough to help you form a definitive opinion. Most probably, you’d want to stick.
What Needs To Be Improved?
The refunds are processed transparently, and no unethical or shady business is going on.
Technical limitations might delay the refund process by a few days at max, but the intent of the people behind the course is not questionable. They only want the money they deserve. The support is fast.
However, I would love to see a live chat box option with a human behind it because every company looking to make it big is doing so these days.
Contacting support through email for a refund or solving a technical problem looks cumbersome compared to the quick live-chat option.
Rating: 9.5/10
5. Price – Is It Worth Your Money?
Worth every penny!! I really cannot sum this up better. Many people might find the price point a bit too high for a ‘dating course’ when there are several popular books at one-fourth the price.
But do those popular books and courses have the same result? Think about it.
Clueless men spend thousands of dollars on fine dining, expensive gifts, fancy liquors, and whatnot and hope to ‘win’ a woman’s affection so that she will ‘allow’ him to sleep with her.
The frustrated ones resort to paying hookers to experience a woman’s touch and affection for a few hours.
Playing With Fire, available at a fraction of that cost, not only saves you thousands of dollars but leaves you with lifelong skills so that you don’t ever have to get frustrated with your lack of success with women.
I cannot tell you how much confidence it adds to your persona when you know you can make a hot woman be head over heels for you.
However cliched the phrase may be, it will cost you a few cups of coffee and maybe some cookies to get this area of your life sorted once and for all.
Rating: 9/10
Final Verdict – Don’t Leave Without Reading This!
Playing With Fire is not only worth your time, but it might be the best thing that has happened to you.
So many dating gurus promise great results after you purchase their book or course, but none provide even one-tenth of the real-life proof of interactions.
Alas, when they try to do it, the worse-than-porn-level acting by the subjects is explicitly visible, and there is one thing that’s clearly missing, even if they use hookers. Chemistry and sexual tension.
YouTubers who make fun videos for views by approaching women do a better job.
But in Alex’s videos and text interaction screenshots, you can feel the chemistry and tension oozing out of the screen. So, without much ado, begin revamping your dating life.